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January 13, 2016 by Laura Diehl 2 Comments

Are You Dealing With the Pain of Rejection?

Rejection hurts. God never created us as human beings to be rejected. It is exactly the opposite of everything God intended for us.

2. Are You Dealing With the Pain of Rejection_

We are accepted with all of our flaws and loved unconditionally by the Creator of the entire universe, the King of all Kings! He created us to be accepted and loved, exactly the way we are.

And yet we all have to battle our way through rejection, time after time, starting in our childhood (and some of us were unwanted and rejected before we were even born, while in the womb of our mothers). Some may deal with feeling rejected by a parent, never being good enough to meet their expectations of us. Many of us still feel the sting of rejection being laughed atwood-light-fashion-people by other children when we were young. Or we still feel the effects of being rejected by cruel classmates in school. We can be rejected by bosses and co-workers. We can experience a very painful rejection by our own children whom we love and did our best to raise, or face the ugly monster of rejection through an agonizing divorce.

The list of ways we can be rejected is endless, and it seems to never end.

There are only two kingdoms in the spiritual world; God’s Kingdom of life and light, and Satan’s kingdom of death and darkness. If something does not come from God, there is only one other source. So if rejection doesn’t come from God, it comes from the enemy. And anything that comes from the enemy is evil.

We can see just how evil rejection is by looking at this partial list of what rejection does to us.

  • Rejection causes us to be defensive
  • Rejection causes us to not step out into our giftings
  • Rejection causes us to feel unlovable and unworthy of receiving anything good
  • Rejection causes us to make decisions we know we should not be making
  • Rejection causes shame
  • Rejection causes loneliness and isolation
  • Rejection causes self-harm5303454708_de5d204960
  • Rejection causes us to be critical, rude, and mean
  • Rejection causes us to lie
  • Rejection causes rebellion
  • Rejection causes us to reject others out of wanting to avoid more rejection
  • Rejection causes fear
  • Rejection causes pride and the need to be right about everything
  • Rejection causes us to live from a false identity, trying to gain approval

Living under the weight of rejection causes us to self-destruct. It affects every area of our lives; physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Rejection attacks and destroys our self-esteem. It causes a person to be starved for the love and acceptance they were designed to receive. It attacks who we are and our purpose in life. It can destroy us in a way that few other things can.

If we want to live in the fullness God has for us, and be all that He has created us to be, we absolutely have to overcome rejection and its ugly effects in our lives. The problem is we usually continue to try to get the people around us to confirm our identity by loving and accepting us, but only God can be fully trusted as the source of our identity and to love and accept us in the way we need.

The root of rejection can be found as misplaced identity. What or who do you base your identity on? Is it what your parents thought of you growing up (and maybe still think of you)? Is it what your classmates said about you? Is it in the areas your boss or coworkers tell you that you are failing? Is it the flaws your partner points out to you? Is there someone’s approval you feel you need, to give your life meaning and purpose? flirtingThat is a dangerous thing, and it sets you up for more rejection.

We were never meant to base the identity of who we are as a person on the things of this world. Any time we base our identity on what others think about us, as soon as they give a hint of disapproval, it is going to hurt us because we are trusting that person with our identity – with who we are in our very being as a person.

As I already said, only God can be trusted in that position, because He is the One who made us. He can and wants to let you know that you are a new creation in Jesus. You are not the person those around you said you were as a child. You are not the worthless person anyone around you today says that you are.

God’s Word is full of who we really are, and tells us over and over again how much God loves us and accepts us as His beloved.

He promises to never leave us or forsake us, so when our untitledidentity is based on what He says about us, we can be sure that we are not going to be faced with His rejection. He paid a very high price – far above gold or silver or any amount of money, to make sure we can be free from the effects of the kingdom of darkness and any rejection we received in our lives.

When we base our identity on what God says about us, we become immune from the devastating effects of rejection. We are secure in knowing who we are, so what others have to say about us no longer matters.

So what does God’s Word say about who we are in Christ? Here is just a start:

  • I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
  • I am chosen and ordained by Christ to bear good fruit (John 15:16)
  • I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
  • I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)
  • I am a partaker of a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)
  • I am a recipient of spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
  • I am a friend of Christ (John 15:15)
  • I am entitled to a clean conscience before God because of the blood of Jesus applied to my life (Hebrews 10:22)
  • I sit in heavenly places (a place of authority over the kingdom of darkness) with Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
  • My sins are removed from me, and God does not remember my failures (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 8:12)
  • I am a child of God; He is my spiritual Father (Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6; John 1:12)

he_loves_me_by_tomatokisses-d637aip

Settle the rejection issue in your life once and for all by being determined to kick out the lies of those who have rejected you, and receive the truth, getting it down into your spirit that you are accepted, loved, wanted, and cherished by God.

Just a final note: Once we are free from rejection, accepting only God’s identity of ourselves, we often find there is a matter of forgiveness that needs to happen towards those who hurt us so deeply. Read Giving Yourself the Gift of Forgiveness Part 1 and Part 2 for help in this area.

 

Gems from the Crown is a weekly blog from Crown of Glory Ministries to strengthen and encourage believers in Christ in their walk with God, especially in the areas of vision, authority, and identity. If you would like to have Gems from the Crown delivered directly to you, please click here.

Filed Under: Gems from the Crown, Idenity

January 6, 2016 by Laura Diehl 1 Comment

Seeking the Glory of God

I have been meditating on how God has been so faithful in my life through the most tumultuous six years of life I couldn’t have even imagined happening. In doing so, I realized how true the words of a familiar song are, about how the more we seek Him, the more we find Him. And the more we find Him, the more we love Him.

1. Are You Looking for God's Glory

When Moses asked God, “Please show me your glory” in Exodus 33:18, God replied, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

God sent Moses up Mount Sinai to stand in the crevice of a rock and we read the account of what happened in chapter 34. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands…’”

I urge you to go back and read that again, pondering the revelation of what God said.

When we cry out for God’s glory, do we realize we are crying out for His abounding goodness…His great mercy…His incredible compassion… His never ending, never changing love?

He is not a hard or a mean God. He is a God who wants to be good to us, to love on us, and have compassion on us – to the point of paying a huge price through the blood of His Son Jesus to be able to offer complete and total forgiveness of our sins to be in fellowship with Him! Wow!

esther 2The exact thing we all are searching for – love and acceptance, mercy and compassion, forgiveness and healing in our very souls is exactly who God is and how He wants to manifest Himself in our lives! That is incredible!

So the more we seek Him, the more we experience all of His goodness, mercy, compassion, forgiveness  and healing of our painful past. And the more we experience those things, the more we love Him (which in turn causes us to want to seek Him even more).  And, the more we experience those things, the more of His glory is revealed in us and through us because that is how He displays His glory!

So what about our children? Are they experiencing the glory of God inP1010714w this way?  Do they know God as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth?”

They cannot just be told about it, they need to experience it for themselves. How can you help them do that?  There are many ways:

  • teach them how to hear God’s voice
  • make sure they know who the Holy Spirit is and how He gives us power in our lives
  • create an atmosphere of worship in your home
  • mentor them in how to get ahold of God in prayer
  • take them to places you know they will have an opportunity to come into God’s presence (such as conferences specifically for children)

These are just a few suggestions. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to bring your children into His glory and allow Him to guide you in this.

And of course, you need to be seeking and modeling these things yourself.  If you dedicate yourself to teaching your children how to seek for God, they will find Him, and they will love Him, which will lead to their desire to seek Him even more.

Your home will experience God’s goodness, mercy, favor, compassion, healing, and love. In other words, your home will be filled with the glory of God!

 

Gems from the Crown is a weekly blog from Crown of Glory Ministries to strengthen and encourage believers in Christ in their walk with God, especially in the areas of vision, authority, and identity. If you would like to have Gems from the Crown delivered directly to you, please click here.

 

Filed Under: Gems from the Crown, Vision - Past, Present, Future

December 31, 2015 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

You Are Special Just the Way You Are!

untitledWhich pet is better, a dog or a cat? Which cookie is better, chocolate chip, or peanut butter? Which color is better, red, or yellow?  Everyone is going to have different answers to these questions. So who is right, and who is wrong? No one! The answers to these questions are all based on opinions.

When we go to the big shopping center in our town, my husband likes to Modern_British_LED_Traffic_Lighttake the straightest way there. But I don’t like that way, because there are so many stoplights. He doesn’t like driving the way I go because there are so many turns onto lots more streets. Who is right, and who is wrong? Neither one of us is right or wrong. We are just different.

It is very easy to get upset with people who do things differently than we do. We compare ourselves to each other. That isn’t a good thing to do. God tells us we are actually being unwise when we compare ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:12).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGod has made you very special. You are unique. There is no one like you on this earth. God did that on purpose. He wanted someone exactly like you! Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Don’t let other kids make you think you have to be like them, or to like the same things they like. Be exactly who God created you to be. Say it out loud with me, “God made me special, and He made me wonderful!”

 

Kidz Korner is part of Crown of Glory Ministries. If you would like to read more Kidz Korner blogs, click here.

Filed Under: Kidz Korner

December 30, 2015 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Four Simple Steps to a New Start With an Old Problem

If you are like me, there always seems to be one or two things that just seem to continually be a problem area in my life. I have asked the Lord to show me how to get a breakthrough once and for all. He has given me four simple steps to follow, which I thought I would share with you.

35. Four Simple Steps to a New Start for an Old Problem

Let’s look at what they are, and then let’s break each one down just a bit.

  1. Repent (yeah, yeah, we know this, right?)
  2. Spend time asking the Holy Spirit for needed adjustments
  3. Seek wise counsel
  4. Obey

The first one, “repent,” can do one of two things when we see it as the first step. It can be something we have heard so often that we basically ignore it (without even realizing it), or it can ruffle our feathers. Oftentimes, I don’t like to admit that it is my sin which has me in this continual struggle. I am guessing you might feel the same way. It might be not doing what I know I should be doing. It could be doubting that God is able to change me. Maybe it is fear of a certain outcome, so I try to manipulate the circumstances to go the way I think they should. It could be the problem itself that I know is missing the mark for God’s best for my life, which makes it a sin for me.

2694-sorry-noteIf we cannot do this first step (or try to pass over it), it is because there is pride in our lives that will not allow us to admit that there is something we are doing wrong. If that is the case, we need to back up and repent of our pride, allowing God to deal with us in this area. Once I don’t have pride keeping me from admitting that I am not perfect, just like no one is perfect, and that’s okay, then I can go on to repent about the specific area which has caused this to be a continual problem in my life.

It is important to remind ourselves that repentance13369027904_ab2edbbcf1_b is not just saying we are sorry. Repentance is an actual change of direction. It is stopping our direction, turning, and going a new direction. Just saying we are sorry and asking for forgiveness is not repentance, if there is not a changed heart that changes our actions.

Is it possible this is where the root of our problem actually lies? We can tell God over and over again that we are sorry, because we want to be forgiven, but we don’t really want the needed change to take place which will take us in a different direction. We all seem to have “pet sins” we make excuses for and don’t want to release. If that is the case, invite God into your heart and your soul (which is your mind, your will, and  your emotions). Ask Him to give you the desire to change. He has done that for me in the past, and He will do it for you.

Next, we need to spend time with the Holy Spirit, asking Him to tell us the adjustments that need to be taken to cause the new direction we need. What works for one person will not work for another. We are all unique individuals.

love-981672_640Quite often, people lead us to believe that “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to solutions to the problems in our lives. The Holy Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves. There have been so many times I have asked God to show me my heart, so that I can see a direction I need to take. So often I am very surprised when he shows me something I had no idea was there, but as I pray into it, I find out He is right. This spotlight into my heart exposes what needs to be exposed, allowing me to pull it out from the roots that grow in my heart where no one sees, and get rid of it once and for all.

The Holy Spirit might reveal something we feel is huge. Something so overwhelming, that He is going to have to help us make that adjustment or uproot it. Or, it could be one tiny thing that seems almost insignificant.

If you are walking on a straight line, and you angle just one step as tiny as a 1° angle, it is not going to make hardly any difference at all in that initial step. But as you continue taking steps, that 1° angle becomes 5° away from the original line, then 20°, eventually 50° and so on. The farther you continue to walk, the further and further away you will get from the place God has for you (which is a problem…).

This is why it is so important to listen to the voice of theman praying Holy Spirit living inside of you. Not just once in a while when you need help with a big problem, but on a continual, regular basis. One of the reasons the Holy Spirit was sent to us is to be our Guide. He is not going to lead you in the wrong direction. So make sure you go to Him before you go to others.

Which leads to step number three. Once you get direction from the Holy Spirit, talk to one or two people who can add godly wisdom and counsel to what the Holy Spirit has shown you. They may have valuable insight into how to practically walk it out. Plus, they can pray with you, they can encourage you, and they can hold you accountable to what the Holy Spirit has spoken to you about this change you want in your life.

getting counselSome people don’t like accountability, because then it means someone holds them responsible for their actions, and knows if they mess up. But if you truly want this new start to an old problem in your life, that is exactly what you will want. If having someone with godly wisdom and love holding you accountable is a struggle for you, once again, ask the Holy Spirit to heal and change your heart to see it as the right and good thing that it is.

And that takes us to step number four.

If you want a new start with an old problem, you must obey what God has shown you to do or not do. Obedience is the key to all of this.

Just like a child, there will be times you don’t want to obey. When a child does not obey, there are always consequences. It is no different with us as a child of God. Most of us might not want to admit it, but the bottom line is that many of the issues we deal with are probably because we struggle in this area of obedience. We know what we should be doing, and we just don’t do it. But we expect God to bless us anyway, even in our disobedience. Do you reward your child for disobedience, or do you reward your child for obedience? Our reward is in our obedience. We must get to the point where we choose to obey whether we feel like it or not.

That is where the counsel and the accountability come in.

That is why hearing directly from the Holy Spirit is crucial.

That is why repentance must be the first step in all of this.2016

Just because it is four simple steps does not mean it is easy. But there is a way to have a new start with an old problem, if we want it. I say let’s go for it together! Let’s make sure 2016 is a year where we finally have the breakthrough we want (and God has provided) for our lives. Let’s do it, once and for all.

 

Gems from the Crown is a weekly blog from Crown of Glory Ministries to strengthen and encourage believers in Christ in their walk with God, especially in the areas of vision, authority, and identity. If you would like to have Gems from the Crown delivered directly to you, please click here.

 

Filed Under: Gems from the Crown, Vision - Past, Present, Future

December 23, 2015 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Are You Looking for God’s Divine Favor?

What would your life look like if you were walking in God’s Divine favor? In Luke chapter one, we read about how an angel appeared to Mary, announcing to her, “Favored one, the Lord is with you.” What was that favor from God going to look like?

34. Are You Looking for God's Divine Favor_

She was going to have a child out of wedlock. She was going to be shunned by her friends and family because of it. As a matter of fact, according to the Old Testament law (which she was under) Mary could be stoned to death. Does that sound like God’s favor to you?

Gabriel wasn’t telling her, “God just wants you to know how much He likes you. He favors you. He’s for you. Now go live a happy life with no more problems.” This visit was about a reality that would change Mary’s life forever in an unimaginable way. This event in her life did not seem to reflect God’s favor. Instead, it put her in a terrible circumstance.

Let’s look at some other people in the Bible who had the favor of God.

  • Abel found God’s favor through his acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. And then he was murdered by his own brother, Cain, who was jealous at not having God’s favor.
  • Noah found favor with God. He lived righteously in an Noahextremely evil generation. He was mocked and ridiculed as he walked in obedience to God by building an ark on dry ground for 100 years. Then his home, every extended family member and friend he had ever made in life were wiped out. Only Noah and his immediate family were spared because of God’s favor.
  • Lot found favor with God and was able to escape judgment. God was getting ready to destroy Sodom by fire. This was the town where he had settled his family. God sent an angel to pull him out of that evil place before the fire came. But Lot lost his home, his friends, and even his wife.
  • Joseph found favor with God and was blessed with prophetic dreams. His jealous brothers were so enraged by his dreams that they threw him in a pit to die, eventually selling him off to a totally different country as a slave. And because of God’s continued favor (which included having him put in prison for several years), Joseph was able to save the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We can see from all of these examples that God’s favor can actually be dangerous. God’s road to His Divine favor can be accompanied by difficulty, hardship, persecution, pain, deep pressure, trials, and tribulations.

moneyDoes that look like our definition of favor? When we ask for God’s Divine favor, our mind goes to things like not being in financial difficulty, not having health issues, not having our children wandering in sin, and on and on it goes. And there is no question that God wants to, and will do those things for us.

However, there are two ways God can receive glory from our lives.

  1. He receives glory by pouring out His favor on us in a way that the world can see we are wonderfully blessed, because we serve and love a God who showers us with obvious good things in our lives.
  2. The other way God receives glory is when we go through trials and difficult things in life, but we remain firm, walking in peace, steadfast in our belief in God, and our belief in His goodness. This causes us to come out on the other side full of spiritual fruit grown out of His favor. We are victorious, strengthened, and have a new level of glory and anointing. Plus we are more in love with God than ever before.

What was Mary’s response to the angel after she was told being favored by God meant she was going to be an unwed mother, carrying God’s son? “Behold I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word,” Luke 1:38.

That is the response I want to have. I hope that is the response you want to have also. No matter how dangerous God’s favor is, I don’t want to trade it in for an easy comfortable life. I don’t want to be off the hook for trouble if it means missing the favor of God!

What people saw in Mary’s situation was not good at all. But what they didn’t understand was that Mary’s situation was actually because she was “highly” favored by God, as the child in her womb was conceived through the Holy Spirit and was God Himself coming to earth as a baby.

We cannot live and walk in fear of what God’s 20150812_113352favor might look like to those who don’t understand, and who might even mock, criticize, and judge us. We need to learn to walk in faith, trusting God with full surrender in whatever it is He wants to work into our lives. That does not mean it will be easy, but we can be confident that we will be enabled with His strength, wisdom, and guidance.

When Mary met up with Elizabeth, she didn’t sob on her cousin’s shoulder and ask, “Why did I ever tell God I would do this? This is horrible! I can’t believe God is putting me through this. What kind of a God would do something like this to me, making me an outcast to my family and to society?” No, her response was breaking out into song. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed: for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation,” Luke 1:46-50.

Are you in a difficult position? Is God’s favor the last thing you see in your situation? Guess what? You may be right where God has put you, because His favor is on you. Since when does God do things the way we think He should do them? How often has God stepped in to do something in your life that looked totally different than you thought it was going to look? My guess would be a lot. And living in His Divine favor is no different.

Let the truth of God’s favor begin a song in your heart, as it did with Mary. God is conceiving something new in you. Trust him with all your heart. Trust him with your family. Trust him with your situation. You will see His glory, and you will see the fruit of His favor on the other side.

 

Gems from the Crown is a weekly blog from Crown of Glory Ministries to strengthen and encourage believers in Christ in their walk with God, especially in the areas of vision, authority, and identity. If you would like to have Gems from the Crown delivered directly to you, please click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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